As soon as we were back in the tunnels, that cold nervous fear returned. I hadn’t realized how uneasy I had been traipsing through this underground system the last time, because I hadn’t known anything different. The surface was deadly. The Alaki roaming the tunnels were lethal. And then there was the constant fear of basic survival — food, oxygen, water. My body was constantly on the alert, constantly waiting with my heart in my throat for the next threat.

The village banished that fear. There was strength in numbers. I didn’t fear an Alaki attack. Even when it happened during the party, I still felt oddly safe. It wasn’t me against the universe anymore. Erotan had my back. Not to mention, the food was overflowing, the oxygen was abundant, and drinkable water was literally falling from the sky. Well, the cave’s ceiling, which felt as tall as the sky.

I had three Subcotan warriors with me this time, but these tunnels were still the thing of nightmares. The Alaki had multiplied and expanded so much in the little time I’d been down here, and I feared how overran the area near the High Freck Gun might be.

“What did our kinder teacher call him?” Hotah asked. His black hair had been pulled into a long ponytail that reached his bum.

“Flower bud,” Tovac answered with a booming laugh. “He called Erotan ‘Flower bud’ because he was as small and stout as a flower bud.”

The pair laughed to themselves, and I couldn’t help but smile despite Erotan’s evident annoyance.

“That teacher was an ass,” Erotan responded.

“He wasn’t wrong, though,” Hotah countered.

Tovac’s large hand fell on my shoulder, grabbing my attention. “When we were younger, Erotan was by far the smallest out of us all, and everyone teased him for it.”

“Get your hand off of her,” Erotan growled.

Tovac chuckled at his friend, but he did as he was told. His hand fell from my neo-neoprene suit and came back to rest at his side. Erotan may have been the runt of the litter when he was a child, but he was definitely the commanding voice now.

“He had a little potbelly and a round hind end to match,” Hotah added as he slapped Erotan’s ass with the flat side of his sword. “He’s lost the gut, but it’s obvious he still has the rump.”

I couldn’t contain it anymore. I snickered at the scene. Erotan had a tendency to be serious. To see his friends clowning on him and poking at his hard outer shell as though it were made of jelly was simply too hilarious. I knew my laughter might embarrass him more, but it poured out.

“See.” Tovac pointed at me. “Even she’s laughing. It’s funny, Erotan.”

Erotan grunted in reply. He wouldn’t budge.

“And then there was that time a group of us went out for a swim at a lagoon a ways away from the village, and we stole Erotan’s loincloth while he swam.” Hotah struggled to get the last few words out. The laughter threatened to take over.

Tovac doubled over, losing it. “And he had to walk back to the village naked. He had a flock of older women follow him up to his cave.”

Erotan shook his head, turning to me. “That lagoon was a half day’s journey from the village. That’s how far these damn trigolites made me walk back unclothed.” His tone sounded annoyed, but I saw the glint in his eye. There was a bit of amusement lingering behind his mask of disapproval.

“He even had one woman whistle after and tell him he had a baby Alaki hanging between his legs.” Hotah roared with laughter.

Erotan’s grin grew wide. “And I still do.”

He wasn’t lying. I had seen the monster the other night. It stood tall and proud in all its massive glory. The thought of it gave me goosebumps. I was itching for another taste. It was a bad habit and I needed a quick fix. Well, hopefully not too quick.

My thighs tensed at the idea of him sliding inside of me once more. I wanted another chance to saddle him, to rock my hips against his as I came over and over again. I missed feeling his hands roam over my body, and his long tongue licking my pussy dry.

The heat built in my body. Why did Erotan have to insist on bringing these other two warriors? It wasn’t that I didn’t like them. Hotah and Tovac had provided most of the entertainment during our travels so far. But I so desperately wanted to be alone with Erotan again.

“Let’s stop and make camp here,” Erotan announced as we met with the river. “The moss is beginning to dim, and we’ll need to be well-rested for tomorrow.”

“What are you going to do while the two of us are out foraging?” Tovac asked as he crossed his arms over his chest and raised one dark eyebrow.

“Tovac has a point,” Hotah added. “We got blankets and sleeping mats rolled out. The fire is lit, and the smoke is draining.”

“I’m going to bathe while you two forage. When you return, I’ll prepare the food, and you two can get cleaned up,” Erotan replied.

Tovac’s black gaze turned to me before returning to Erotan and shrugging his shoulders. “As long as you’re cooking.” He placed his hand on Hotah’s shoulder. “Are you ready to move?”

“Got my sword,” Hotah responded, patting the weapon on his hip. “Let’s go.”

The two men left the cave chamber in search of food as Erotan headed to the river’s edge. Without a word, he shed his loincloth and wadded out into the stream. The water glowed with each of his movements, just as the lagoon had done the first Mars night we spent together.

“Are you coming in?” he asked me.

I hadn’t moved from my spot, because I’d been too busy soaking in his image. I couldn’t get over the things he made me feel. I had never drooled over a man like I did Erotan. The experience and sensation were so novel, I struggled to compose myself at times.

“Uh… yes,” I said, pulling myself to my feet. As I walked over to him, my fingers found the zipper on my suit.

Just as I was about to draw the tab downward, Erotan said, “Wait. Do it slowly. I want to watch.” He leaned back in the water, lounging on the current as his eyes locked on me.

I swallowed hard. I had seen this thing in movies, but doing it in real life? Never.

My steps slowed, and I emphasized the sway of my hips as I strut toward him. The zipper on my suit clicked as the tiny teeth came undone. His eyes widened when my breasts were exposed, and his response made my skin flush.

When my toes touched the water, I peeled the rest of the fabric from my body. My movements were slow and confident.

“The things you do to my body… ” Erotan whispered. “I can’t believe a creature as tempting and beautiful as you even exists.” His hard dick bobbed in the water like a wagging tail.

The ground beneath my feet began to vibrate, and I froze. Erotan must have felt it too, because he came scrambling out of the water.

“Hide,” he said as he barreled past me. He didn’t even stop to sling his loincloth back on.

It had been a false alarm. The Alaki were near, but they never attacked. Needless to say, I didn’t sleep much that night. My eyes refused to close and my heart beat in rapid fire. I was just waiting for those nasty centipede creatures to swarm us.

When morning hit, we were all worse for wear. The Subcotan had rotated keeping watch, and the loss of sleep showed. They weren’t as spry, and the majority of their communication was now done in effortless grunts. But I couldn’t be sure if that was due to tiredness or the desire not to make a lot of noise and attract the Alaki.

It felt like every hour, the ground shook beneath our feet. These monsters were seemingly everywhere. We were all constantly on edge, waiting for one of them to show their nasty faces.

That moment came just as we were reaching the end of our day. The four of us huddled around a small fire. Erotan had insisted on keeping the flame as tiny as possible.

“So, are the Alaki attracted to sound or afraid of it?” I asked. It was the first time any of us had spoken in what felt like hours.

“Both,” Tovac answered. “Small noises alerts them, but loud, banging noise deters them.”

“It’s just like how one can hear, but anything too loud hurts,” Hotah added.

As though on cue, the floor began to vibrate. I held my breath as the fine dust bounced around the surface. I expected it to only last a few seconds, but it didn’t stop. In fact, it built.

“They know we’re here, and they’re looking for us,” Erotan said as he hopped to his feet. “Swords at the ready. Mia, go hide.”

I could barely hear him over the roar. It sounded like a train was coming straight for us.

“Go, Mia!” Erotan shouted as an Alaki came charging out of a tunnel.

Its black pincers opened wide, and it spat a glob of acid straight toward us. We all leapt out of the way as the saliva landed right on the fire, smothering the flames.

A second Alaki, desperate to get into the cave chamber, crawled over the first and lobbed another ball of spit. This one was aimed straight at me.

I dashed to the side and sprinted toward a large stalagmite. The sizzle of organic matter frying sounded behind me.

“All swords on the lower one. It’s pinned,” Erotan yelled out the order.

I hugged myself into a ball, hearing their grunts and shouts as they battled the two Alaki. It was complete chaos, and not being able to see anything made it all worse. My heart rattled in my rib cage, and my knees knocked together in terror. I waited to hear a dying cry from one of the Subcotan, but it never came.

A big black pincer struck the stalagmite I was hiding behind. Tiny rocks and dust rained down on me. I made to scatter away, but when the pincer landed, I noticed it was missing its owner.

“Mia, watch out,” Hotah shouted.

I wheeled around on the ground to spot the second Alaki charging toward me. The first had been dismembered.

I pushed onto my feet and darted for the severed pincer. I knew the beast was faster than me because I could hear its legs clicking across the cave as it barreled toward me. But I wasn’t about to give up on my plan.

“Mia!” Erotan yelled.

It took two hands to grab the pincer, but as soon as I had a grip on the thing, I lifted, turned, and swung with all my might.

I caught the Alaki right in the face. It was a direct hit, and I knew I’d never get that lucky ever again in life.

The monster reeled back in a roar as it writhed in pain. The Subcotan warriors charged in, taking advantage of the moment. They whipped their black swords across the Alaki’s soft sides, hacking the beast to pieces.

They didn’t stop until it crumpled and rolled into a ball. Its tight hug reminded me of a rollie pollie, accept this thing was dead.

“Everyone ok?” Erotan asked between breaths.

The three of us nodded in reply.

“Good. Let’s cool down and get some sleep.”

The adrenaline pumping through me was so strong, I couldn’t even fathom calming down and going to sleep.

The next morning was tense because we all knew it was only going to get worse. We weren’t very far from the High Freck Gun, which meant there would be even more Alaki to face.

The Subcotan didn’t seem to notice or else their spirits had been revived by the fresh kill because they marched through the tunnels with their heads held high and their chests puffed out. The only noticeable change in precautions was that Erotan required that I walk by his side at all times. And I couldn’t go too far or else he would pull me back to him.

“No, that was funny but I think my favorite was when Tovac was caught trying to slip it to Elder Sulnil’s daughter, Asa.” Hotah grinned at his companion.

Erotan chuckled. “The highlight of our youth.”

“What happened?” I asked, curious to hear the story.

“Nobody say anything,” Tovac barked. “If someone’s going to tell the story to Mia, then it’s going to be me.”

“Oh, I’d love to hear this version,” Hotah teased.

Tovac shot him a quick glare. “It’s not a version. It’s what actually happened.” He turned his attention to me. “Back when we were all young, blossoming Subcotan, I fell hard for Asa. We were around the same age, and all the guys strayed away from her because she was the Elder Sulnil’s daughter, but I wasn’t deterred. It wasn’t long before others told her about my attraction, and she soon let me know that she had similar feelings. We had small trysts here and there but nothing major.”

“Not until the ceremony.” Hotah jabbed Tovac with his elbow, snickering.

Tovac rolled his eyes. “Anyway, we get a little older, and eventually I complete all the required tasks and become a man. During the celebration, Asa and I sneaked away to get a little alone time, and we got caught by Elder Sulnil.” He shrugged. “That’s it.”

“That is not it,” Hotah was quick to say.

“Yeah, you forget the part where Elder Sulnil came into the room right when you were about to mount Asa and proceeded to swat your aroused prick with a vine,” Erotan said.

“With a vine?” I repeated in disbelief.

“It felt like a tiny whip, striking me over and over. I had welts on me for days after that.” Tovac shook his head. “I hate that story.”

“Welts?” I didn’t even have a cock, and the idea of it made me queasy.

“Yes, welts,” Tovac confirmed.

“Are you and Asa still together?” I asked. I didn’t remember seeing him with her during the village party.

“Absolutely not. I never went around her again.”

“Really?” I was a bit saddened to hear that. I was a softy for young love. “You didn’t even try to smooth things out?”

“Her father whipped my dick. I had welts on my dick. No, I did not try to smooth things out.” There was quite a bit of passion in his voice.

Hotah busted out in laughter, and Erotan joined in.

I gave Tovac a sympathetic pat on the shoulder as I struggled to hold in my amusement.

But the lighthearted mood quickly came to an end, when the ground shook beneath our feet once again. This time was different, though. It wasn’t just a simple vibration. It was practically a full-fledged marsquake.

I heard the hiss echoing around the tunnel before I saw three black bodies sprinting toward us. One was considerably bigger than the other two. In fact, it was enormous.

“It’s the Queen,” Erotan warned. “Mia, go!”

But there was no place for me to go. We were in a large tunnel, and we hadn’t passed another cave chamber in quite some time. All I could do was press myself flat against the wall and hope the Alaki never spotted me.

The three Subcotan stood their ground with their swords out. Their eyes were focused on the incoming stampede.

The two normal Alaki were the first to blast through the tunnel. Just as they had done last night, the three men worked together to tackle their opponents. They hopped around with their swords drawn, dodging acidic saliva and giant black pincers.

When they had a chance to strike at the soft flesh on their sides, they took the opportunity. I held my breath watching them. All the Alaki strikes seemed to miss the Subcotan by being either a moment too soon or too late. It was agony to sit on the sidelines while all of this was going on, but I was pinned in place. Without a weapon, it would be impossible for me to attack or make a clean getaway.

As soon as the second Alaki was about to fall, the Queen rode in. She was twice the size as her spawn, but also twice as fast. She roared out an irksome hiss, displaying all ten rows of terrifying teeth. It was one massive peacocking moment, and the sight made my chest squeeze in panic.

With her pincers retracted, she charged in. Her black body propelled her forward like a bullet train. The Subcotan leapt out of the way, but she was too fast.

Her head lunged, and she plucked Tovac out of the air. He screamed a heart-wrenching cry of pain, slamming his sword down on the beast. But it was useless. Her head and pincer were too well-armored.

“Kill her!” Tovac pleaded with his compatriots as the Queen slowly pulled him toward her open mouth.

Erotan and Hotah slashed at her sides. I saw the tip of a sword gleam in the turquoise moss light as it went flying.

“My sword broke,” Hotah cried.

“Her skin’s too thick,” Erotan shouted.

Just as Tovac’s foot met the inside of her mouth, I closed my eyes. I couldn’t watch him be devoured.

Tears slid down my cheeks as I heard his screams turn into wet gurgles.

“Take Mia and get the gun!” I heard Hotah’s voice.

“And what are you going to do?” Erotan asked.

“Don’t worry about it. Just get Mia and save the fucking village,” Hotah yelled at him.

Moments later I felt Erotan’s large hand grasp my arm. He yanked me upward. “We need to move.”

“But Hotah,” I pleaded.

I glanced over Erotan’s shoulder to see the warrior toss the rest of his broken sword at the Queen’s face. The action captured her attention, and she locked onto him.

“Come on.” Erotan pulled me.

Hotah began to sprint in the opposite direction, going back the way we had come. The Queen clicked her pincers in excitement, eager for the chase.

“Faster, Mia,” Erotan roared at me.

My feet picked up the pace as we sped off, leaving Hotah to distract the beast.